Affairs of the British Heart
by IfEaRnOfIsH
Summary: Shaun needs a cuppa'. But she's in the way, and he'll have to go past her first. Y'want pointless fluff for your evening in with your J20 and your cat? You'll get it here. T for language, M for themes later.
1. Chapter 1

**I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS GAME. :D  
Anyhow, this is my first attempt at an AC fic. I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out, but the only thing I'm iffy about is the characterisation. I wrote Rebecca thinking that that was _how _she was, but then I rewatched a couple of cutscenes and was like, "...Oh hang on. D:" So, if she's a bit off, then I have only myself to blame and wrote thinking of her differently. Whoops. DX**

IF YOU HATE SHAUN I'LL BITE YOU. D: Seriously, why does everyone hate him? He's mah favourite. 3  


Shaun needed tea.

The English and their view of tea isn't just stereotypical. It's a life force. When the English brain runs slow, why else does it cry out for tea? You can hear it in their voice as they exhale _Yes please, love. _or their sigh of relief when the kettle finally comes to boil.

So when Shaun needed tea, he _really _needed tea.

The thing was, he'd have to go past _her_. Bloody sodding flipping bollocking her. Her with her perfect makeup, her with the black hair, her with her ridiculous clothes that she thought looked cool, her with her wit and quirkiness and charm and friendliness and _stop it you bloody idiot. _Shaun jumped a little in his chair as he thought it, and his eyes snapped back to his computer screen, reading up on a small tangent of the Templar connection with a family named Peard – it was pretty small and probably wouldn't lead anywhere, but it kept his mind off her pretty well, until his eyes slid to her reflection on his screen and saw her again, her lovely fingers toying with a pen idly as she stared at a computer screen.

_Rebecca._

'Mmm?'

Shaun started a bit and was plucked from the fantasy rampaging through his head, only to find her looking at him quizzically.

_Oh shit, I said her name out loud. _

Shaun snapped to defence.

'What're you looking at me for? Why would I possibly want you for _anything_?'

Lucy looked up from her own computer screen from across the room. Shaun did his best to ignore her watching him, but soon forgot all about her when he saw the angry look on Rebecca's face.

'Jeez, why're you such an ass Shaun?' She murmured, and turned back to her computer screen, watching Desmond's readings. Shaun watched her go, gaping uselessly like a fish, wishing he could snatch it all back and make the sarcastic arsehole Shaun go away. Lucy arched an eyebrow at him, and Shaun glared at her. Lucy shrugged, and her eyes rested on Desmond in the Animus briefly before going back to her screen.

Shaun never thought he would envy Desmond, but right then he did. _Lucky sod. He's too busy prancing around in Rome for matters of the heart._

He slunk back around his screen, back to the Peards, bitterly disappointed and very cross with himself. He eyed her reflection in the computer screen, her head slowly sinking in her hand as she got bored, and he didn't want the fantasies, but they arrived with a vengeance. Him holding her hand, holding _her_, actually – that'd feel quite nice, holding her face, that'd be lovely too, and then kissing –

And that's where the fantasy stopped. He refused to let it go any further – he was pretty sure that his heart would sort of flop out of his chest and twitch on his keyboard, exhausted after all the beating it'd done after letting the fantasy run all the way through.

_Stupid Shaun. _

'I'm heading out to the city.' Shaun looked round as Lucy shrugged on her coat. 'Anyone want anything to eat?'

'A pretzel if you can find one.'

'I don't think they do pretzels anywhere here, Rebecca.'

'Then a sandwich. Same as always.' Rebecca sighed.

'Shaun?'

Shaun looked up from staring at Rebecca. 'Maybe a pastry. If that's not too hard.'

Lucy shot Shaun a look, and then headed out of the Sanctuary after looking back at Desmond. Her footsteps gradually grew fainter, until silence dropped like a huge silent thing in the Sanctuary. Rebecca briefly checked Desmond's pulse, and went back to her screen. Shaun went back to his, but the natural English instinct in him cried out a protest. _TEA. _

_Steel yourself, Shaun. You've faced worse._

He eyed Rebecca and the table of drinks that had been set up, just beyond her desk. His courage failed him. _Coward_.

The tea instinct prowled around his head, running a big stick along its walls. His courage watched it numbly. He'd really have to do something.

And that something was a tiny piece of logic that proposed an instant allegiance between the two.

_Offer to get her coffee! _

Well.

No time like the present.

Shaun got to his feet, his chair rattling behind him as the backs of his legs pushed it away. His courage ran and hid, only to be dragged back by the tea instinct. Shaun almost shoved himself forward, his heart in his mouth. He was sweating, he could feel it. _I hope it doesn't go through my jumper – I'll look like a twat if it does. _

He was about to pass her.

Oh God.

'Coffee?'

Rebecca looked up, a pleasant sort of surprise on her face. 'Sure. Thanks!'

Shaun resisted the urge to smile at her, and marched onwards towards the table of drinks. _I did it! I really did it! If only mum could see me now, talking to girls. _Shaun fumbled with a tea bag as the industrial kettle came to boil, and spooned some coffee into a plastic cup.

'Do you take sugar?' He called over his shoulder._ You're sweet enough already. _He added inside his head, and then wanted to slap himself hard across the face.

'No thanks.' Rebecca called back.

The sweet aroma of tea hit Shaun in the face as he poured the hot water into his own cup. _Sweet, sweet tea. _His screaming instinct was soothed momentarily, drowsy on the smell, and his courage kicked itself awake. _Everything can be solved with a good cuppa._ He poured the hot water into Rebecca's cup, the coffee smell merging with the tea – the earthy twist on the regal aroma, and turned around with the cups in his hands.

He walked back to Rebecca's desk carefully, and placed her cup by her screen.

'Thanks!' She said, and smiled at him widely as she picked it up. Despite himself, Shaun smiled back, and regretted it immediately as he marched back to his desk.

Only he didn't quite make it back.

'_Ow!' _

He wheeled around – the coffee was _everywhere_. It dripped off Rebecca's desk as she jumped to her feet, shaking her hand about which had obviously been hit in the spillage.

'Rebecca! The _Animus!_' Shaun yelled, plonking his cup of tea on his desk and marching back, pulling the sleeve of his jumper down over his hand and mopping up the coffee before it got to the computer.

'I'm sorry!' Rebecca said helplessly behind him, and Shaun felt his heart stumble a bit._ Hope she's not hurt herself…_

Moving with deliberate pace, he set the toppled cup upright. 'There.' He said, and turned around, and his heart literally stopped. Right there and then at the sight of the tears in her eyes. 'You've hurt yourself, haven't you?' he managed. Rebecca nodded, clutching her hand to her. 'Right, give it here.'

Rebecca held out her hand, and Shaun took it gently. It looked a bit red, nothing more – his thumb grazed the top of her hand, and he heard her wince.

'How much does it hurt?'

'Not an awful lot.'

'Then stop being a drama queen.' Shaun said, and looked up. 'You'll be –'

He was staring right into her eyes, which were wide with absolute, solid trust. _She trusted him. _

And with that, just that, the fantasy Shaun had been daydreaming about sort of laid itself out in front of him, like a step by step guide to how he'd always dreamed of doing it. Almost subconsciously, his fingers moved so they were laced with hers, and he locked their hands together. She didn't wince. It was like she'd forgotten that she'd burnt her hand in the first place. Their locked contact with each other fell gently to the side, and Shaun stepped a little closer, still watching Rebecca. A little part of him hoped she'd push him away, laugh at him, but it was just a tiny little thought in the midst of the others roaring at him to _DO IT! _Ever so gently, he reached out with his other hand and laid it on her waist, drawing her towards him. She moved towards him, and he forgot what breathing was, let alone how to do it. Gently, slowly, catch-a-monkey, he let go of her hand, and his moved up to cup her face. His thumb moved across her cheek. And slowly, her hand moved up too and made itself at home on his cheek, his unshaven stubble pressing into his skin. Not that he cared. Not that he even noticed.

The step by step fantasy in Shaun's head came to a halt. No guidance beyond this point.

Not that he needed it.

He knew what to do.

Closing his eyes, he leant in and kissed her.

Time stopped as feelings he didn't know he had exploded around his body and in his mind. The world fell away around them. They were the only two people on earth. Seriously, it felt like that. His stomach did flips and karate kicks, and he found it a perfectly reasonable idea to stay like that with Rebecca forever. Her lips felt _right _against his, corny as it was, like they were made for his. He didn't want them moving unless she was talking to him or kissing him – possessiveness crept over him and he held her tighter. She was his and he was hers and neither of them seemed to mind that much. They stood there for a long, long time, the kiss gradually deepening until it seemed like no return.

That is, until high heeled boots echoed with in the Sanctuary.

They jumped apart, staring wildly at Lucy's growing shadow on the wall of the entrance. Shaun looked desperately at Rebecca, bursting to say so many things – not only was he pretty sure that his voice box wouldn't be able to cope, but the seconds were ticking. Lucy was getting closer.

So he settled for the most unromantic thing ever.

'I'll talk to you later.' He hissed, and after she nodded quickly, he impulsively grabbed her face and kissed her hard before ripping himself away and diving back towards his seat.

When Lucy arrived, both Shaun and Rebecca were both at their desks, typing away.

'I got you a sandwich. No pretzels. Sorry.' She said, tossing the wrapped sandwich onto Rebecca's desk.

'No problem. I like sandwiches anyway.' Rebecca beamed, unwrapping it. Lucy smiled back at her and moved towards Shaun's desk.

'Hey Shaun. Anything on the Peard family?' She asked, placing a wrapped chocolate éclair by his keyboard.

'Nope, nothing. Fizzles out after Colonel Whitehead. Is that an éclair? _Lovely!_' Shaun snatched it up and tore off the wrapping. Lucy tilted her head, amused.

'You're chirpy.' She noted.

'Who, me? Nah, I just like éclairs.'

Lucy watched him tuck in for a moment, frowning, before giving a dismissive shrug and going back to her desk. The perfect place to eye Desmond in the Animus.

And in the corner of his monitor, Shaun watched Rebecca's reflection, which watched him back.

Intently.

For the rest day, Shaun's heart made itself at home in the back of his throat.

**Ahem. :3 Yay for pointless fluff, eh? :D Anyway, do leave me a review about the characterisation thing, I'd really like some help with that :D Ta' for reading, next chapter up soon! :D 3**


	2. Chapter 2

**WHO WANTS FLUFF TURNED ANGSTY. ITS THE BEST KIND OF FLUFF. :D I think I did a lot better on Rebecca this time around :3 Thank you for all your lovely reviews! :D And thank you to the MAJORLY sexy Kiarra-Chan for hastily Beta'ing this for me on Skype. Go look at her sexy writing after you've read and reviewed this. :D **

'I bloody hate this.' Shaun muttered, wrapping the blanket tighter around himself as he peered out of the window of the van. 'No Templars in sight. No knights running towards us with long sharp sticks. No. Nothing. Why would be there anything? Oh that's right, it'd give me _something to do_.'

Shaun really didn't like the night watch. _Especially _when it was his turn to do it. His glasses bobbed up as he pushed his fingers into his eyes, hoping to rub out the exhaustion. No such luck. He pushed the glasses back up his nose. And, just as usual, his mind slipped to Rebecca. _Rebecca. _

'That kiss…_cor_…' He said to himself, a grin slipping shamelessly across his face. He replayed what happened earlier in his head- the way she felt in his arms, the way her face and lips felt, and all he knew was that he wanted to say _sod it _to this watch and storm right back into the Sanctuary, find her bed and never emerge from it again. Ever ever _ever_.

He wished she was with him.

He laughed quietly.

_Fool. _

He peeled the lid off the flask, inhaled the fumes from the tea, and then took a sip. Brilliant tea. His eyes slid to the window.

Rebecca waved at him.

'_BOLLOCKING CHRIST!' _Shaun yelled, jumping out of his seat. His head hit the roof of the van first, and then the flask of tea landed in his lap – he yelled out as the tea soaked through his jeans and stung the tender skin on his legs. He stared at Rebecca through the window.

_Sorry! _She mouthed through the window, a smile on her lips. She raised her hand – _where the bloody hell did she get a spare set of keys for the van? _and moved off down the van, obviously intending to climb in the back. Shaun, his lap stinging and his head pounding and barely aware of what he was doing, squirmed over the top of the seats, clutching onto his blanket. He toppled into the back of the van to see Rebecca open the back of the van and crawl into the small opening she'd made before closing it behind her, plunging them both into total darkness.

'…Rebecca…?' He whispered, reaching out blindly, that familiar heart-in-his-throat feeling coming back to haunt him.

'Gimme a sec.' He heard her murmur, and then suddenly there was light in the form of a glow stick hung on her belt. 'Much better.' Rebecca said, and Shaun, poor old Shaun, was lost for words.

It was her.

_Rebecca._

'What're you doing here?' He whispered, moving towards her.

'Couldn't stop thinking about you.' Rebecca replied, completely straight to the point. 'Hope that's OK.'

'That's more than OK…' Shaun said. 'That's bloody brilliant.' He managed, and reached out to take her face in his hands. She grinned up at him, and he kissed her.

Once.

They broke away, and he wanted more. He dipped his head, kissed her again, and withdrew slightly, only to have her come after him. He fisted his hands in her hair and almost forced her head back so he could claim her mouth with his. Which he did. Thoroughly. She didn't seem to mind – on the contrary, she was practically _encouraging _the hardly gentlemanly behaviour by pressing herself against him and stabbing his tongue with hers.

'Saucy.' Shaun commented when their mouths parted briefly, and found himself being shoved against the wall of the van with Rebecca following soon after, kissing any sense Shaun had left out of him.

'Shut up.' Rebecca hissed back at him, pulling at his jumper. Shaun helped her get the dratted thing off, and they flew at each other again, only to fall to the floor in a mess of limbs. Her hands went to his belt, but he batted them away, covering her body with his before kissing her neck. Her fingers ran up his sides, and he flinched at the shockwaves that went through him. Shaun began to think about something – something about clothes, but Rebecca was obviously far ahead of him and was making quick work of his shirt buttons – her deft fingers finding sensitive skin and torturing Shaun mercilessly.

'Rebecca…' He murmured, dimly aware that she was pushing the shirt off his shoulders and – _Christ! _Her tongue was _magic_! He heard himself moan as she nibbled on his neck, sending more of those brilliant shockwaves through him – he was barely aware that her hand was moving downwards, until she squeezed something of considerable importance and he yelled out – she covered his mouth with hers and all was forgotten other than that thing about the clothes Shaun was thinking about earlier.

_She's got far too many on. _

He pushed her back from where she had sat upwards to work her charms, and hovered above her, suddenly uneasy. The times he had restricted the fantasies were coming back to haunt him, and he had no idea how to proceed. Sure, there'd been other girls. Plenty. A few. The odd couple. _Face it_, he told himself, _they'dve shagged anyone who was up for it. And they probably did. Specially Laura. She'dve done it with a bulldog if it was game._

But this was _Rebecca. _Beautiful, amazing Rebecca, and Shaun didn't know what to do next.

'Shaun…?'

He forced himself to look her in the eye, and felt heat rush to his face. (Which was surprising, considering how much of it was elsewhere) 'You okay?' She tilted her head.

Shaun knew that it was no time for telling porkies. But he tried to anyway.

'Who, me? Yeah, just fine…' He trailed off uselessly, still hovering above her awkwardly. His arms were starting to shake, but he wouldn't lower himself down. Jesus Christ in Tescos, no.

'Hey.'

Her whisper in his ear made his heart stumble. Again. She was sitting up, propping herself onto her elbows and looking up at him. 'If you don't want to, then that's fine…'

'No!' Shaun said, with much more force than he intended. 'No, I really want to…just that…'

'What?'

'Well…'

He stopped breathing when her hands came up and held his face.

She looked at him.

And he knew he could be nothing but honest.

'Its you.'

The words couldn't have come out a worse way unless he'd said it backwards.

'It's _me_!'

_FUCK. _

'NO! No, not like that!' Shaun stuttered uselessly, pulling away and sitting back before covering his face with his hands, knocking his glasses askew. 'No…its just –'

'Its just _what_, Shaun?' Rebecca demanded. 'You can't get a girl into bed with you and then tell her you can't get it up because of _her_!'

'Er, 'scuse me, _madam, _but things are definitely and completely _up_. No problems there.'

'Then what is it?'

'I can't tell you!'

'Well that's fucking convenient.'

'No need for language!'

'_What the hell is wrong with you?_'

Shaun stared at Rebecca, who was glaring with all the ferocity of a woman who just _didn't get it_.

All men feel, at some point in their lives, what Shaun felt right at that precise moment. It can strike suddenly, or be with them since their awkward spotty years, but one way or another, every man on the planet will be intimidated by a beautiful woman. And it has, or will, frustrate that one single beautiful woman when he's too afraid to take her hand or, well, be intimate with her. And both will be left confused and hurt.

But no one's ever done anything about it.

But, in that single moment of desperation, Shaun took a giant step for man and womenkind.

_Lets see how far this "honesty is the best policy" gets you, twit. _

'OK. It's like this.' Shaun took a deep breath, and pressed his palms together before bringing them up to his face and tilting them towards her with his best _please understand I'm trying to explain every single man in the universe _look. 'You're human, or just about applicable to the term, right?' _Don't be a prat, or she'll stab you_. 'So you've probably wanted something so much in your life that you don't stop thinking about it. And because you think about it so much it doesn't become…' Shaun gestured vaguely. '_Real_. You think it'll never happen in a million years, and when you daydream about it in every spare moment you get, you become someone else in completely unrealistic situations.' _I was a bit more muscular in those daydreams. And there were a lot of explosions. _'Get me?'

Rebecca's glare softened, and her eyes slunk away from his. 'Yeah. I've done that.'

'Well done you. I'd give you a biscuit, but I don't have any. Let's call it an IOU. _So._' _Careful, Shaun. _'Let's say there's this…guy.' _Smooth. _'And there's this…bird.' _Bird? What is she, a goose? _'And the guy's been thinking about this…bird for ages, and never thinks in a million years that it'll happen. And it pisses him off. So much so, in fact, that he can be a sarcastic _bastard _sometimes.' _Step out of the way, Captain Obvious. This town ain't big enough for two plonkers. _'And then, all of a sudden, he's got a chance with her, and he kisses her just the once…' _Careful mate, you're dribbling a bit_. 'And it's amazing. It's all he's ever dreamt about and all he's ever wanted.'

Shaun stared at Rebecca, who was avoiding looking at him. _Christ alive. If I have to throw myself at her feet, I bloody well will_.

'And then, he's in a va – _in bed_, with her, and, bloody hell, he wants her so much, but he can't do it, because the dreams never worked out like this. They were all full of _nonsense_, windswept romance and explosions, and – ' _Calm down! _'_Love isn't like that_! It's personal, its heartbreaking, and, most of the time, _it doesn't work out_! And she's beautiful and he's _scared_, alright? He's _scared _that he won't be good enough and that he'll disappoint her and she'll avoid him and tell all their friends nasty things and it won't be that he's worried about, not that last part, but its because he's so completely, utterly, head-over-heelsingly in love with her that it hurts and he knows the dreams _lied_.'

Shaun collapsed a little in on himself as a silence that was bigger than the one earlier fell in the van. He didn't look up at Rebecca. He couldn't. And he wanted to kick himself up the arse for it. With a lack for something to fill the horrible silence, he peeled his glasses off his face, and let them hang limp in his hand as he pushed his fingers into the corners of his eyes.

'He's sorry. _I'm _sorry.' He murmured uselessly.

He'd laid his whole soul out in front of her to pick at and toy with at her leisure.

He just hoped she didn't break anything.

The van creaked as Rebecca shifted a little. Shaun didn't react to that, but when she gently took his glasses from his hand and took his face in her hands, lifting it up gently so he had to look at her, it was an effort not to cry. _Pathetic. Seriously. Call yourself a man? _

'I'm sorry.' He murmured at her again, and his voice cracked a little.

'Hey.' She murmured back, kissed him on the forehead, and shushed him gently. Shaun didn't have any hope for anything, not really, but he collapsed against her and let all the angst and frustration he'd carried for so long trickle out of him in big, shuddery sighs, and she just _held _him. He just melted in her arms, clung onto her like he might drown and, with his eyes squeezed shut, abandoned all his daydreams and sunk a little into reality.

Her mouth hovered above his ear. It sent a pleasant sort of shiver through him.

'I love you too.'

Shaun looked up, and she smiled down at him, and he felt the need to reach up and touch her face, just to make sure she was real. And when he knew she was, he struggled out of her arms and took her in his to kiss her slowly. She guessed his intent.

'We don't have to do this tonight. We've got plenty of time.'

'I want to.' He smiled quietly. 'I _really _want to.'

Rebecca didn't say much else, but leaned up to kiss him again.

Shaun had a hazy set of memories of what followed. He knew she fell back, and he came after her, kissing her neck and just taking her in. He couldn't remember whose clothes came off first, either, but he remembered that they didn't matter much, and the whole thing was what he should've been dreaming about. Just her, and him, so _together_, and it was better than any history text book or database entry or anything he could think of.

It was just Rebecca.

Shaun didn't get a lot of guarding done that night.

**SHAUN GOT LAID :D **


	3. Chapter 3

**OHAI GUYZ I HAS A POST FOR YOU. I beg for forgiveness for posting this so late, but coursework, exams, y'know the deal. Thank you again to the sexy Kiarra-Chan for beta'ing this so long ago - and I PUT THE LAST SHAUN AND REBECCA BIT IN FOR YOU SCHMETHAN. YES YOU. BE GRATEFUL AND MAKE ME TEA. And don't forget to boil the kettle. Y'know. Like you did last time.  
:3**

_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. _

Desmond eyes cracked open as he was dragged from his utterly bewildering dreams by the sound of _something_. But he didn't stay awake for long, and soon began to slip back into the warm embrace of sleep, where Rome and the Borgia awaited him with a smile on their lips and a dagger behind their backs -  
_Bzzzt. Bzzzt. _

'Mmmpf.' Desmond murmured unhappily as he blearily opened his eyes again, and saw his phone's light flicker off on the bedside table. He frowned at it while reality came back to him slowly. There were only three people with that number. Rebecca would probably be too busy hacking something to text him, Shaun should be sleeping on his guard shift, and Lucy – _Lucy_ had somehow managed to shift away from him during the night, and was stirring unhappily, disturbed by the noise. Desmond, almost on auto pilot, shimmied sleepily towards her and pulled her back against him, her skin feeling _incredible _against his bare front. She hummed happily as he dropped a kiss to her shoulder, and soon she was breathing the nice, steady breathing of a happy sleeper. He reached over her gently and grabbed his phone, and it vibrated impatiently in his hand.

'Alright! Alright!' He hissed at it, and then squinted into the harsh light the cheap little thing emitted. _12 new messages. _The screen informed him, and, slightly baffled, Desmond opened up the inbox.

They were all from Shaun.

_I just had sex.  
_

_Incredible, amazing, __**toe curling sex**__. Hope you know that while you've been canoodling with Lucy, __**I've **__been doing some canoodling of my own. That's right. Shaun Hastings. __**CANOODLING**__.  
_

_I bet you're dying to know who it was._

_I KNOW YOU FANCIED HER WHEN YOU SAUNTERED IN. Don't you think I didn't notice. Giving her the big eyes as she strapped you in the Animus. She's mine, mate. Look at her again and I'll set a pair of bulldogs on your wedding tackle._

_Alright, I just realised that the last message made it blindingly obvious it was Rebecca. _

_BUT SHE FANCIED ME TOO. It wasn't a pity shag or anything. I've never had any of those. Ever._

_She said she loved me._

_I love her too. _

_You're in love with Lucy, right? Feels bloody incredible, don't it?_

_WE DID IT IN THE BACK OF THE VAN. HOW'S THAT FOR IN THE ANIMUS THAT NIGHT. DON'T THINK WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. _

_You're asleep, aren't you?_

_Well. See you tomorrow morning._

The phone buzzed one more time.

_Please don't tell Rebecca I told you. She scares me. _

'Put it away.'

Desmond looked away from the phone as Lucy turned around to face him, blinking blearily in the harsh light. _Dammit. Why is she always sleepy when she's naked. _She looked so Lucyish in all her naked glory, her chest pressed up against his, still managing to look fantastic without any makeup. Even when she was frowning at him like that.

'You're beautiful.'

'That's all well and good, Desmond, but I want to go back to sleep.' Lucy murmured, and reached up to hold his face.

But all Desmond did was stare.

'Desmond? Are you seeing things again? I'm here.' She said, sitting up and pulling him towards her – his eyes followed her up, but she still wasn't satisfied – she grabbed the phone from his limp hand, ran her thumb over a couple of buttons and shined the light straight in his face.

'Jesus Lucy!' Desmond hissed, batting her hand away and blinking thoroughly, rather back with reality.

'Well what else did you expect me to think?' Lucy retorted. 'I _worry_, Desmond.'

'I know. You don't want another Sixteen.'

'It's not just that!' Lucy tucked a stray clump of hair behind her ear. 'I'm worried that I'm going to loose you to that Animus! Every time you come out of that thing you look a little more out of it, like you're somewhere else. And I bet that you're in Rome.'

Desmond found himself staring at her again.

'Tell me you're not in Rome.' She pleaded.

_Shit. Lie. _

Desmond looked at Lucy.

Honesty had become infectious. It had started in a back of a van somewhere in Italy, where one man had simply _explained _what went through the head of every man who was _ridiculously _in love with a beautiful woman. And, somehow, the honesty had made its way through time and space and settled into Desmond's mind and, God knows how, but he knew what he should say.

And it wasn't a lie.

'I am, for a while.' Desmond admitted. 'But then I see you, working at your computer, looking sexy even in yesterday's clothes, snapping at Shaun, and then looking up at me and welcoming me back home and I suddenly feel like I'm _worth _something and I'm back. _You're _the thing that stops me from drifting away.'

Lucy blinked down at him.

'You really mean that?'

'Completely.'

Lucy frowned. 'No one's ever said anything like that to me before.'

'Well, they obviously didn't feel the same way as I do about you.' Desmond shrugged, and grinned sloppily. Lucy smiled back at him, and slid down so she was back in his arms, which Desmond had no complaints about.

'Why were you playing with your phone, anyway?'

'Oh,' Desmond rolled his eyes. 'Shaun finally bedded Rebecca.'

'Y'know, I think it might've been the other way around.'

Desmond laughed quietly. 'That's a fair point.'

Lucy smiled for a moment, and then tapped his cheek. 'Sleep. Now.'

For some reason, it occurred to Desmond that the situation called for an English accent. 'Rightho!' He said, and it sounded like a Welshman with an Indian background had been thrown into a corpse grinder.

Lucy stared at him. 'Don't do that again.'

'You got it.'

She turned away, and, by the sounds of it, was soon asleep. Desmond, after tossing the phone back on the bed side table, kissed his way from her shoulder up to behind her ear, which made her hum happily. If his soul could hum, Desmond thought, it'd sound like that. He hadn't meant to scare her with the whole staring at nothing thing, he'd just got distracted by something Shaun'd said.

_You're in love with Lucy, right? Feels bloody incredible, don't it?_

Yeah. Yeah, it did.

Desmond, with his arm wrapped loosely around Lucy's waist, fell asleep smiling to himself.

And, in the back of the van, Shaun could feel himself dropping off too – into a nice and very welcome pleasure induced sleep. He lay on his back, watching the fuzzy image of the ceiling with Rebecca curled up into him – her head on his chest and an arm thrown across his stomach, and his arm draped around her shoulders. Their toes had done war under the blanket for a while as they'd chatted about all sorts of things – Templars, Assassins, Ezio and the Apple, but mostly they'd talked about what they wanted to do after this was all over. And they'd both agreed in their own heads that whatever they'd do, they'd do it together. Then there'd been a lazy exploration of each other until they were certain they knew each other's bodies as well as their own, and that was when Rebecca fell asleep, her fingers falling short of completely tracing a scar Shaun had on his side from an accident he'd had as a kid. Shaun'd been trying to count how many freckles she had on her shoulders, but it was hard without his glasses and he was struggling to concentrate, so he'd looked up at the ceiling and let his eyes close.

_Ah. _

_Bliss. _

Both men quietly reflected that love had its benefits.

**THE END! Did you guys like it? :D SO - I've got a massive big fic on the way - an AC/TORCHWOOD/Doctor Who cross over, and I'm really pleased with how its going, and I can't wait to share it with you all. Thanks for following this one for all my old reviewers, really appreciate it, I LOVE YOU ALL BIG TIME *LESS THAN THREE* **


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